SALUTING WEST SIDE STARS

Each year, West Side Spirit, the largest community newspaper on the West Side of Manhattan, pauses to salute dozens of New Yorkers whose accomplishments deserve to be highlighted.
We call our civic awards the Westys, which stands for  West Side Spirit Thanks You.
The requirements to be considered for a Westy are simple. The awards go to New Yorkers who live or work on the West Side and whose accomplishments help improve its neighborhoods. Nominations are made by prominent West Siders, by other Spirit readers and by our editorial staff. The editors and I narrow the lists in each category and select a handful of nominees to honor in person and in the pages of this newspaper.
We hope you enjoy reading about these accomplished neighbors in the following pages, and we look forward to hearing more about their achievements in the coming year.

Sincerely,
Tom Allon
President & CEO

West Sider of the Year: Judge Judith Kaye

Bravest and Finest: Officer Betsey Gonzalez

Bravest and Finest: Annemarie Legendy

Bravest and Finest: Deputy Inspector Keith Spadaro

The Charity List: Paul Guenther

The Charity List: Jeff Parness

The Charity List: Mary Cooper

The Charity List: Deirdre Downes

The Charity List: Laura Radensky

The Charity List: John Engel

The Clergy: Rev. Joseph McShane

The Clergy: Rabbi Allen Schwartz

Community Builders: Joyce Johnson

Community Builders: Margarita Curet

Community Builders: Helen Rosenthal

The Culture Club: Wynton Marsalis

The Culture Club: Christopher London

The Culture Club: Stephen Burdman

The Educators: Gabrielle Rowe

Health Care Pros: Barbra Minch

Health Care Pros: Dr. Hassan Khouli

Entrepreneurs: Pat Carddick

Real Estate Royalty: Susan M. de Franca

Real Estate Royalty: Shlomi Reuveni

Restaurateurs: Matthew Tivy

Restaurateurs: Joan Gallo

Restaurateurs: Don Evans